Rotary clutch



' E. FEHB.

ROTARY CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED IJI=.c.-2I'I92o.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

I h j IIIIIIIIII N w Inventor:

UNITED i STATES EDMUNDFEHR, OF HARLESDEN, LONDON, ENGLAND.

ROTARY CLUTCH.

To aZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDMUND FEHR, a citizen of the Swiss Confederation, residing at Harlesden, in London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Rotary Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements 1n or relating to rotary clutches ofthe type wherein a driving and a driven'element are provided, the one with recesses and the other with a clutch block and a radially-movable carrier therefor, spring-pressed in the de# clutching direction, and with nieansrwhereby the said clutch block can be enga-ged in one of the recesses at will. This invention has for its object to provide a construction of clutch of the above type in which the two said elements can be more elfectively clutched together than in clutches ofthis tvpe hitherto used.

According to this invention there is .provided a rotary' clutch wherein each clutchblock is pressed in the clutching direction by a spring interposed vbetween it and its carrier. and the connection between it and .its said carrier comprises a guideway on the one and a cooperating piece on the other to enter the said guideway, which guideway is substantially T-shaped with the stem radial to the rotational axis of the clutch. l

Preferably the carrier-controlling springs are plate springs so disposed that during the movement of the carrier in the'deolutching direction. the clutch-block is movedv by the Vsaid springs toa position in which it is again permitted radial movement relatively to its said carrier.

Two methods of carrying out the present invention will now be described with iefer ence to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is Van end view, partly'in section, of a rotary clutch according to this invention with the parts in the declutched position;

Figure 2 is a transverse section Vthrough the clutch shown in Figure l yshown partly solid.

Figuref is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the parts in clutched engagement.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 17, Application led December 27, 1920. Serial No. 433,112. i

Figure 4 shows a side elevation in section of a modified clutch, and

Figure 5 is a'front view in part section o-f the clutch shown in Figure 4.

part

A hollow driving shaft A has its end enlarged and received concentrically within a driven-member B which may be a gear wheel. The said driving shaft is provided with clutch blocks in the form of rollers C arranged to engage in recesses D formed in the inner periphery of the driven member.

These rollers are held in carriers E slidingly mounted in radially disposed slots A1 formed in the aforesaid enlarged portion of the driving shaft and plate-springs F bear on the Acarriers to press them towards the centre of the shaft. Each carrier Vis provided with s.

stem E10 which extends into an open ended cavity A2 formed radially in the driving shaft and is provided with a ball G constituting an anti-friction member seated in the open bottom of the said cavity so as to extend into the bore A3 of the lshaft to be engaged by a wedge-ended operating rod H therein.

Each of the carriers is constituted byV a centre-piece E1 sliding in the slot A1 and two side plates E2 overlapping the edges of the slot and secured to the said centre-piece. The side plates are each provided with a guideway in the form of av T-shaped slot, the stem E3 of the T being nearest the centre of the shaft and radially disposed, and the roller C is provided at its ends with axis pins 'C1 which extend into the said vslots and forrnthe means of attachment for the roller to the carrier. TheV roller is kept pressed. towards the head of the slot by a spring C2 in compression interposed between the said roller and the vCentre-piece of its carrier, which spring has-a plun'gerelike cap YC3 guided in a housing provided in the said the free ends of the springs F. If desired,l the parts may be so proportioned that these springs constitute a centering device for the 'lov rollers C, in which case these rollers will l eV located in line with the radial parts E3 or' the slots. lVhen it is desired to throw in the clutch the rod His moved so that itsend enters between the balls (i el the carriers and forces them radially apart against the acl'ien of the springs F. rIhe rollers C are thus brought into contact with the inner periphery ol the driven member Ii.' The continued movement ol the rod Il advances the carriers further-so that the springs (if are further compressed, the axis pins ci? the rollers moving in the stems E3 ot the slots. Immediately the relative movement ofthe driving-shaft and driven-member causes one ofthe recesses D to lie opposite a roller, this latter is advanced by its spring C2 into the said recess, the axis pins of' the rollcrbeiug moved clear of the portions E3 of their slots and into the heads of the same. The lurther relative movement of the driving-shaft and driven-member causes the rollers to be cai ried in more or less tangential direction so that the axis ins C" moveinto a. branch of the head-portion of the slots until the rollers are arrested by seatings E" formed in the centre-pieces of their carriers. The rollers are now held against radial movement relaT tively to their carriers by engagement in their slots,and the carriers themselves are held against radial. movementvin either direction, the parts being in the position shown in Figure 3. l It will be appreciated therefore that a. strong clutching action is obtained since the parts cannot become declutched unless the rod H is withdrawn from between the balls Gr. The springs C insure the smooth en-l gagement of the rollers in their recesses, and permit the rod II to be fully operated instantly, regardless of the relative p( sitions of the driving-shaft and driven-member.

Obviously the above device may be modified so that the parts are inversely situated, Sacha construction is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the driving-shaft A in this case is solid and has a solid enlarged end situated as before but the recesses D are formed in thefperiphery of the said end instead of in the driven-member B, and the latter is formed with two radial slots in which inversely disposed carriers E and clutchblocks C are received, the carrier s rings F being housed in channels F1 forme in one :facecf the said driven-member. The means for operating the carriers in this construction conveniently consists of two wedge-ended pins J, one for each carrier, secured to a yoke K which is formed with a grooved boss L to receive an ordinary pivoted operating lever and is loose] received on-the driving-shaft. The pins are disposed parallel with the axis ot the driving-shaft and are guided in cavities M formed in the driving-member into which a short stem E9 of each carrier extends.

The operation of this clutch is substanw tially the same as that previously described and a similarly strong clutching etliect is obtained. t l

It' will be appreciated that the details o't both constructions may be varied without departing from the spirit'otl the invention and that the scope oi the invention is not limited to the said constructions.

what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a rotary clutch, the combination of a driving-element and a driven element the one provided with recesses and. the other with a radially-movable carrier, a clutchblock carried by said carrier and arranged to enter said recesses, a spring tending to move the carrier in the declutching direction, said carrier and said block having the one a substantially T-shaped guideway yand the other a cooperating part arranged to be guided therein, the stem of the T-shaped guideway being directed radially to the axis of rotation ol the clutch, and asecond spring that is interposed between said block and its carrier and tends to move the block into itsL clutching position.

2. In a rotary clutch the combination of a driving element and a driven element, the

one provided with recesses and the other with Va radially movable carrier, a clutch block carried by said carrier and arranged to enter said recesses, two plate springs tending to move the carrier in the declutching direction, said plate springs being arranged. with their free ends overhanging the carrier so as to coact with the block during the declutching movement of the carrier and to constitute a centering device for the block, said carrier and said block having the one a substantially T-shaped guideway and the other a cooperating part arranged to be guided therein, the stem of the T-shaped guideway being directed radially to the axis of rotation of the clutch, and a second spring that isv interposed between saidy block andA its carrier and tends to move the block into its clutching position.

3. Ina rotary clutch the combination of a driving elementk and a driven element, the one provided with recesses and the other `with a radially movable carrier, a clutch block carried by said carrier and arranged to enter said recesses, a spring tending to move the carrier in the declutching direction, said carrier being provided with a substantially Tshaped guideway and said block with a cooperating part to be guided in said guideway, the stem of the T-shaped guideway being directed radially to the aXis of rotationof the clutch, said carrier havin@r two abutments one at each end of the head of the T-shaped guideway 1"*or arrestino the movement of the block at the ends oil. the head of said guideway, and a second spring that is interposed between the said block and its carrier and tends to move the block into its clutching position. v

4. In a rotary clutch the combination of a driving element and a driven element, the former being provided with a radially movable carrier and the latter with recesses, a clutch block in the form of a roller carried by said carrier and arranged to enter said recesses, two plate springs tending` to move the carrier in the declutcliing direction, said plate springs being` arranged Wit-l1 their free ends overhang-ing tlie carrier so' as to coact- Witli the roller during the declutehing movement of the carrier and to constitute a centering device for the roller, said carrier be' ing provided with a substantially T-shaped guideway and said roller With cooperating axis pins to be guided in said guideway, tlie stem of the T-sliaped guideway being directed radially to the axis of rotation of the clutch, said carrier lia-ving two abutments one at each end of the head of the lsliaped guideway tor arresting the movement of the roller in the ends of tlie head `of said guideway, and a coiled spring in compression that is interposed between said roller and its carrier, and tends to move the roller into its clutching position.

ln testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDMUN D FEHR. 

